Tasslehoff plus Romance
by Azaurmyth
Summary: Tasslehoff goes on an adventure alone. Not only does he find that carrying a pack is heavy work, but that love isn't just a thing that's for the big people. Rated for possible future stuff, dun really know yet
1. Home and the Heartlandhuh?

The Adventures of Tasslehoff Burrfoot

Tales of Romance...wait, I didn't ask for this!

When the War of the Twins was over, Tas thought that he would put his hoopak down and retire. Ha! When he sees his house and home land devastated from the wars that rocked the lands, he changes his mind. The only thing he thinks to do is to grab a few things and a bit of food before he starts on perhaps the wildest adventure he will ever encounter.

Home and the Heartland...Huh?

Tasslehoff said goodbye to his newly acquired flying palace, giving it to the dwarf he'd met, and skipped down the road to his home. Just a little hut, but it was his, he just hoped the other Kenders had left a little left for him. He had even started whistling a little tune; he was so happy. That was...at least until he _saw_ his house. It had been burnt to the ground with only a few spoons and dishes here and there.

He walked over as if he were in a daze, all of his stuff was gone. Gone was the necklace from the Rosebud household. Gone was the deed to the Featherhelm lands. Everything...Tas couldn't believe it. He shook his head and told himself in a Flint-like voice, "Well Tas, you were never really all that smart anyways. Otherwise, you'd've built the house out of brick! Doorknob of a Kender." He skipped down to the ruins and looked for anything that may have survived. Anything of any importance anyways.

Tas looked for about fifteen minutes before he became bored out of his mind. He meandered down the road to the small town, looking to see if any of the houses survived. He found the same for most of the other houses, burnt out shells or just burnt down anyways. "They never do think of saving the Kenders, do they?" He asked himself. He looked through those ruins, finding a few things that did see important, but very personal. These, of course, went straight into his pouches.

Tas made it to town to find a more peaceful scene. Not as many buildings had been burnt. There were an awful lot of Kenders there though. He spotted a few people he merely recognized before ducking into a shop to avoid possible hero status. He pulled out a ring, he didn't quite remember what it did, so he could barter for rations and such. He found a suitable pack, a week worth of rations, a new dagger, a similar ring to the one he planned on giving, and a small blanket. He set the ring on the counter before he ran out of the store to avoid anybody who may recognize him.

"The only problem with being a hero, not that I asked for it," he said to himself. Unfortunately for poor Tasslehoff though, was that his path led directly through the crowd in the center of town. He walked nonchalantly as if he weren't a famous person in any other part of the world. He walked through the crowd, thinking as he went, "Maybe I'm not so famous after all." That was, however, until he saw the sign.

**WELCOME HOME! TASSLEHOFF BURRFOOT (HERO!)**

Tasslehoff's heart sunk to his knees, so he was just as famous here as anywhere else. "Maybe, if I can get past the sign, no one will notice." Ha! Fat chance as someone just yelled out, "There he is!!" Tas ran for his life, a group of Kenders already latched on to his various pouches. He wrenched the Kenders off of his person and ran faster than when he had when an angry dragon had been behind him.

He ran until he got tired, but he found he'd run all that way for nothing. The crowd had given up the chase a while back, and decided they would wait until later. He looked down the road and sighed. "Well Tas, you'll be all alone this adventure. At least I won't be famous over the seas," he told himself. With that, he headed down the road, hoping it would take him to a sea port.


	2. The Road toSomewhereI think

The Road to... Somewhere...I think...not quite sure yet...

Tasslehoff walked down the road in a cheery mood after he'd escaped the crushing praise of the Kenders. That was until he'd hefted his pack up, realizing how heavy this whole adventure thing actually was. His spirits were only slightly dampened by the prospect that he wouldn't have Caramon, or Tanis...or Riverwind... Tas sighed, realizing how much he'd miss them. Two of his friends were dead, and the others were better or worse off than before. "I'd better not bug them, that would be rude."

As Tas went on, later and later, the pack grew heavier and heavier. He eventually had to rest, so he set his pack down to retrieve some food. Now, the problem was, Tika used to do the packing, when there was anything to pack. Tas looked in the top, where the food usually was...and there was none. Tas did a little head-scratch, "I could've sworn that I picked some up before I left."

_Doorknob of a Kender! You packed it in the bottom! Dolt!_ A Flint-like voice told him. Tas's little candle lit up, (instead of a light-bulb, since they don't have electricity!) as he delved to the bottom of the pack to retrieve the food. He ate quite a bit of the food before re-packing his bag and heading straight down the path. He felt as if a very heavy weight was taken from his shoulders, though it was comfortably placed in his stomach.

Before Tasslehoff knew it, the day was done, and he was ready for sleep. He lay out his bedroll and sat on his knees and looked as if he were about to pray. He took a deep breath and started conversing with air. "Fizban, it's me, Tasslehoff. Thanks for letting those Kenders tire so quickly. I don't know what on earth I would've done if they caught me. I should tell you, though you probably already know, I'm on my own adventure now!" He continued much like this, (I'm sure you all know the special bond between Tas and the ever-loved Fizban), until he was absolutely ready to sleep.

"Well, good night Fizban, and keep your hat on. I don't want to have to find it again." And with that, Tas slipped into his bedroll and said goodnight to the stars. When he was asleep, a small white feather drifted from the trees to rest on the sleeping Kender.

In the morning, Tas woke up to find the feather. He excitedly put it into his pocket and continued down the road. He went through this routine for three days before the food ran out, and with no map he decided that he would follow the road until he found a town. After another few days, (for Kenders aren't known for traveling particularly fast), he felt the hunger like never before. "Door knob of a Kender. Didn't pack enough food, now you'll have to go hungry," he said to himself, not quite as loud as he usually would when doing his best Flint impersonation.

_Darn right you didn't!_ Tas heard, this wasn't the first time either. "Flint?" he asked, stopping in his tracks. _Well, who else would it be dolt? I'm surprised I still have my coins!_ Flint said harshly. Tas shook his head, "No, Flint is dead. He's not here any more, and I will accept that." He huffed and went on, stomach growling all along the way.

In the next few days, Tas's road took an interesting turn... straight into the forest. _Don't know what you'll find in there. Nothing but trees and dirt,_ Flint said.

"I know, but I'm hungry enough to eat the ground," Tas responded. He looked to his sides, and saw no one. He sighed, "No Flint...No Tanis...No Riverwind..."

_I'm here you dolt! Open your eyes,_ the nonexistent Flint griped at Tas.

"My eyes are open," Tas complained, but he grudgingly looked around again. His brow furrowed, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was Flint in a clearing, sitting under his tree, a mug of ale in his hand, and a plate full of food. "But I thought..."

_Mind can play funny tricks Kender. Just no funny business from you, I'm feedin' you!_ Flint said, making sure his belongings were safe. Tas walked into the clearing, no longer seeing a dark forest, but a light elfish one. He heard another voice being added to the mix, Tika! _...assistance Flint. You don't seem to have enough food. _And another Tanis! _...Flint! Long time no see!_ Another person coughed ferociously, Raistln! There they all were, ready to feed each other, and have a good time doing so. Caramon brought out flasks of spirits that he was more than ready to get rid of. He looked at Tika lovingly, not touching a drop of the alcohol himself.

A very confused, but happy Tasslehoff joined the throng. He spoke with the party, caught up with them, drank with them, ate with them. As Tas's stomach filled, the more hope that there was another town around here grew larger. He soon got raving drunk on the spirits Caramon brought, and on some of the ale that Flint had brought. Soon after, there was singing and dancing and laughing.

That was of course, before Tas passed out from the spirits, rather, from hunger. There had been no one but him in the clearing. And no one but him watching. That does not mean, however, that there was just him walking in the same path. And that one person stood over him in the morning.


	3. Who on earth?

Who On Fizban's Green Kyrnn...Is That?!

In the clearing, another Kender had walk up, and hearing Tasslehoff's boisterous ruckus, went to see what kind of party was going on. Her head tilted this way and that, wondering what on earth the Kender was doing alone. That was, until he collapsed. She ran over to aid the fallen man, finding that he was hopelessly dehydrated and starved. (Kenders have a high metabolism you see). She sat him up against a tree and waited for him.

Meanwhile, Tas was having the most wonderful dream until he felt himself moving. He was with Tika, Raistln and one of the Kender clerics he saw when he was back in time, in a kayak. They were headed straight for a waterfall. Tas thought about how realistic the dream was, he could even feel himself getting wet. The kayak plummeted over the falls, and with the sensation of falling, Tas woke up. He jumped to find that he _was_ wet, and there was a female face very close to his.

"Ah!" Tas yelled out in shock. He backed up as fast as he could, but being very hungry on top of thirsty didn't help. "Who are you?" he asked. She started talking rapidly in a different language, and even if she was speaking common, he wouldn't have understood. His eyes grew wide, "Uhhhh..."

"Dranm," she cursed, Tas thought she did, he wasn't quite sure.

"Common?" he asked. She crossed her arms and pouted, and that was a big fat no for Tas. He sighed before he saw the food on the ground. He looked at it wistfully as his stomach gave a very loud growl. The female stamped her foot at her self for forgetting about his hunger. She sat on the other side of the food and offered a tiny portion to him.

Tas looked forlornly at his portion. "That's it?" he asked more to himself than to her. He sighed, and ate what he was given. It was, after all, her food. She was barely eating, feeling more content to stare at Tasslehoff's face. He met her eyes, throwing her into a fit of giggles before she looked away with flushed cheeks. His eyebrows rose both in confusion and amazement. He looked away as well, as if a bit embarrassed.

A glance back at her face showed Tas that she was again, staring at him. When he thought about it, she was very pretty. Her large brown and deep green eyes. Her rich brown hair. Her lithe body accented with a bright yellow dress. Even her feet were beautifully accented with matching yellow sandals. She wore hardly any jewelry apart from a ankle bangle and a collar necklace. Her pouches and supplies had been tossed off to the side so she could eat.

She said something in her language, making Tas gape at her. She giggled uncontrollably for a few minutes before she took to staring into his face. Tas sighed for the third time. He pointed at himself, hoping to Fizban that this would work. "Tasslehoff. My name is Tasslehoff," he spoke slowly.

"Shirla," she said, pointing to herself. She giggled and jumped to throw her arms around Tasslehoff's neck.

"Ah! NO, gerroff me," Tas protested, struggling to find a way out of her grip. He struggled with her for a moment before he could free himself. "No, no," he told her sternly. He sat cross-legged, put his hand up to his chin, and thought about how to communicate with Shirla. Shirla, however, sat next to him, cross-legged, hand at her chin and with the same pensive expression. He realized that she had copied him as he looked at her. She looked up at him before breaking into giggles. Tas groaned, "Oh, women. I don't understand the pros of settling down."

With that said, Tas got up and started walking in the direction he thought the road was. There was gibberish being spoken when in the middle of it all he heard "Tassie." Tasslehoff's shoulders slumped, now he had a pet name?! Shirla had on her pack, and her pouches, and she was jogging towards him.

"Maybe, if I pretend I can't hear her, she'll go away," Tas said to himself as he waited for her. Shirla tugged at his arm in order to get to his hand, while Tas resorted to keeping his arms above his head. She shrugged as if saying 'You'll have to put them down sometime.' She looked at him with a sly/coy expression on her face, but she shook her head as if decided against her thoughts. Tas sighed, and thought, _This will be a lo-o-o-ong adventure._


End file.
